Multiple-cylinder steam locomotive



p 1946. F. w. GEORGE, R 2,407,980

MULTIPLE-CYLINDER STEAM LOCOMOTIVE Filed Dec. 8, 194.2 7 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO'R ATTORNEYS p 9 1945- F. w. GEORGE, JR I 2,407,980

MULTIPLE-CYLINDER STEAM LQCOMOTIVE Filed Dec. 8, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2- TTQRNEYS Sept. 24, 1946. F. w. GEORGE, JR

MULTIPLE CYLINDER STEAM LOCOMOTIVE Filed Dec. 8, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE- CYLINDER STEAM LOCOMOTIVE Fred W. George, Jr., Lima, Ohio Application December 8, 1942, Serial No. 468,272

32 Claims. 1

This invention relates to multiple-cylinder steam locomotives, and particularly to the steam piping system thereof; the invention being well adapted to Mallet locomotives or the like, and especially useful in the simple Mallet type, an example of which has been chosen for purposes of illustration in this case.

In steam locomotives having cylinders located at spaced-apart zones, longitudinally of the boiler, the conducting of the steam from the dry pipe or from the superheater header to the cylinders, the conveying of exhaust steam from the cylinders to the discharge zone, and the handling of the steam supply for auxiliaries, such as the feed water heater, usually present problems of some complexity.

These problems are of several kinds: first, those which arise from the necessity of accommodating thermal expansion and contraction in steam pipes of the length required in such locomotives; second, those originating in the requirements of efliciency, such as the necessity of minimizing radiation losses and of avoiding restrictions and excessive twists and turns in the pipes; third, those due to severe space and clearance limitations; and fourth (especially in the case of Mallet or other articulated types of locomotives), those which flow from the necessity of accommodating relative motions between certain parts, for instance between steam pipes and other parts mounted on one frame structure and related parts mounted on another frame structure and/or upon the boiler of the locomotive in cases where one frame is pivoted to the other and swings laterally beneath one end of the boiler.

These problems have been aggravated by the progressive increase in size of modern multi-cylinder locomotives which need increased steam flow but have less space available for pipes; and they are especially troublesome in engines of the single-expansion or simple type, as contrasted with the multiple-expansion or compound type, since the steam, instead of being conducted serially from one cylinder to another (as in the compound type), must be conducted as high pressure steam to each cylinder, and as exhaust steam from each cylinder, which necessarily involves more piping on a locomotive of given size (assuming the same number of cylinders in each case).

In general, the primary object of the present invention is to take care of the above and related problems encountered in this art; and the invention further contemplates the accomplishment of this general purpose while at the same time securing certain novel and advantageous results, with an economy of means.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a system of steam piping, for Mallet locomotives or the like, wherein the length of piping and the number of pipes, the number of bends, and the number of ball and expansion joints, are kept at a minimum, consistent with the functions to be served; while at the same time the pipes are so disposed, and the bends, turns and joints are so employed as to fit the piping into the smallest practicable space, and derive from the curves and joints the greatest measure of accommodation of the system to thermal expansion and contraction, and the fullest measure of flexibility for accommodating the relative motions of parts due to articulation of the locomotive.

Still further, the invention contemplates the facilitation of the mounting, application and removal of the various elements of the piping system with relation to the boiler and also with relation to the cylinders and frame, particularly when the cylinders are cast in integral pairs with the two bed frames of an articulated locomotive.

Additionally, the invention involves the provision, in a locomotive having more than two cylinders (and especially in a locomotive having cylinders located at regions spaced apart lengthwise of the boiler), of means for taking steam from cylinders in a plurality of such regions and delivering same to auxiliaries on the locomotive, such as the feed water heater; and in this regard, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a relatively simple piping system, which, while free from interference with the main steam and exhaust lines to and frornthe cylinders, is so connected to the exhaust lines as to take exhaust steam individually from each cylinder of two spaced-apart pairs of cylinders, and to combine these four sources of supply for unified delivcry to the auxiliary device In this way, the eight exhaust impulses of one complete cycle of four cylinders of a Mallet locomotive can be employed in a way to minimize the discontinuity of the exhaust steam supply to such auxiliary. This arrangement also has the advantage of tending to avoid differences in exhaust back pressure upon the different cylinders.

How the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are secured, will appear from the followingdescription, taken together withthe accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of the forward portion of a simple Mallet locomotive embodying the present invention, the piping system of the invention Figure 2A is a sectional view, to the same scale,

through the forward extension of the bed frame,-

immediately ahead of the cylinder saddle struc} ture, illustrating a part of the main steam; pipe expansion joint and a sliding support therefor;

4 by means of a rocker-mounted bolster on which the truck center pin 22B is carried.

A general understanding of the steam piping system may be had by tracing the path of the steam from the dome 8. Dry pipe 23 conducts the it will be observed that the steam is taken from the superheater header, downwardly at each side,

b y --curve'd pipes 21 within the smokebox.

Figure 3 is a detail view taken on the line 3 -3 of Figure l, but to the scale of Figure 2, showing the exhaust steam pipe junction member for-the I front cylinders, formed also as the socket ofa ball joint, and as a steam take-off for the feed water heater; 7

Figure 4 isa plan view, to the'same scale as Figures 2 and 3, of the cross-conduit lying below the rear exhaust nozzle which forms a junction for the twolongitudinally extending exhaust pipes from therear cylinders, and illustrating the conr nection for taking oif exhaust steam from both sides, for ultimate delivery to the feed water heater;

Figure 5 is a detail in'ew taken on the line 55 of Figure 2, but to a larger scale, illustrating a pipe junction casting, in the line of j connections to the feed water heater, said casting also forming the socket of a ball joint; and v Figure 6 is'a longitudinalverticalsection, to

the same scale as Figure 5, showing the flexible pipe connection from the joint member of Figure 5 to a correspondingv member coupled up to the feed'water heater, this flexible connection comprising .two ball joints and a slip joint;

By reference to Figure 1', it will be seen that I have illustrated a locomotive boiler shell I, having steam dome 8,.double smokestack 9 with subjacent nozzles lihfeed water heater H and feed pump l2, the heater being mountedin a recess formed in the shell adjacent the front of the smokebox H. The boiler'and other parts just referred to-are mounted fixedly upon the rear bed frame, a small portion of which is shown at M; Interfitted with and pivoted to said rear frame framelfi, which'may have a forward extension 16B, the extreme front end of which carries th bumper and. coupler (not shown).

Fixed to, and preferably integral with, the rear at I5 is the tail portion |6A of the frontbed frame structure I4 is a pair of cylinder and chest units ll, serving to actuate the driving wheels in the rear frame, one such wheel being fragmentarily shown at [8. I

The boiler l, the rear fr-amel i and driving wheels I8 journ'alled therein, the cylinder units I1, and the intervening saddle structure, including the boiler saddle member'fragmentarily shown at 1A, all move as a unit, in the traversing of curves. The front frame l6 has a sliding support T for the boiler at B, so that this frame with its driving wheels l9 and its pair of cylinders 2E3 and chests 2|, can swing laterally as a unit about the axis of pivot l5, as when taking curves. The

usual spring-type centering device is indicatedat Exterior elbows 28 connect these pipes to the rearwardly extending pipes 29, one at each side of the boiler, below the center line thereof.

Each pipe '29, toward its rear end, is bent downwardly for connection, through an expansion joint 3|, to the cylinder neck 32 which at the bottom is integrally connected to the steam chest of 'the unit Before tracing-the exhaust from the rear cylinders, the steam flow will be followed out with reference to the front cylinders' At the back of the cylinder necks'32, a pair of bent pipes 33'extenddownwardly and toward the center line of the locomotive, where they are coupled at opposite sides to a central fitting 34, connected to the rear end of a short pipe 35 which extends forwardly within the cylinder saddle.

' Pipe 35 has a ball joint at 35'with a pipe section 2 and-32A) and by the upper and intermediate cross-walls 31A and 31B (Fig. 2A)

At its forward end, the pipe member 350 has an expansion joint 38, which latter in turn is slidably supported on a seat 39 in the forward part of the front cylinder saddle structure 40. 7

At this point, a forked fitting 4| is coupled onto the front flange I of theexpansion joint, the

branches 42 of said fork 4| diverging laterally and upwardly, ina forward'direction. These, in turn,'are coupled by laterally and rearwardly bent pipes 43'to1the elbowslM integral with steam chestsZl; T 7

Referring again to the expansion joint38: the .details of its structureneed not be shown, since any suitable type may be used (one example of which is disclosed'in Patent No. 2,127,073). Suffice it to say that'the joint itself may be used to accommodate the expansion of pipe elements 35A and 350 with reference to the forked'piping 4|, 42; .but'theexpans ion of the pipe-35C with reference to the bed casting I6 is accommodated by thesliding support in the saddle structure 4M As seen in Figure 2A, the outer shell of the joint 38ha's a semi-circular peripheral wear plate 33A 3 which rides on the arcuate seat 39 which is mounted in the saddle structure. Undesired rotation of the pipe joint 38 is prevented by external lugs 3813, which engage the subjacent shoulders, formed (as shown) by a reduction in the diameter of the 'lower'half of the aperture 40A in the structural flange 40B. V

In summary, it will now be seen that the live steam, taken from the boiler at the .smokcbox region, is first carried bacl; to the rear cylinders,

and half of it is further carried back behind the rear cylinders and there to a central point, from whence it passes forwardly from the rear cylinder saddle to the front cylinder saddle (passing through both saddles), and from a point forwardly of the front cylinders it is carried back over each cylinder into the respective chests. This arrangement causes the least interference with the running gear and other parts in the region thereof. The curvature in the pipes, to the rear of the rear cylinders and forwardly of the front cylinders, takes care of the necessary expansion and contraction in those regions, and the single expansion joint 33 takes care of the expansion and contraction in the long central pipe. The ball joint 35 is the only angling joint necessary in the entire live steam system. The joint 35B is only required for mechanical purposes, e. g. for assembly and disassembly. Expansion and contraction of the pipe assembly with relation to the framing is accommodated by a sliding mounting for one or more of the pipe joints, preferably a sliding mounting for the expansion joint 33, within the front saddle (as illustrated in Fig. 2A).

At the front valve chests 2i, the exhaust at each end is carried laterally inwardly through connections 45 to a longitudinal passage as in the chest structure and at the front ends of said passages there are coupled two pipes All and WA, respectively, extending forwardly enough to clear the live steam piping 42, 53. At their front ends, the pipes a? and 47A extend upwardly and laterally inwardly, where they are joined to the -.two branches 48A and d3 of the central joint casting (shown in detail in Figure 3).

The main body 49 of this casting forms a jun-- ture for the two branches, and a socket for the ball joint 56 (Fig. l) at the front end of a central exhaust pipe 5!, which also has a slip joint at 52, and a second ball joint 53, the latter being at the base of the front exhaust nozzle it.

The exhaust passages in the rear cylinder units I! may be similar to passages 55 and 43 already described with reference to the front cylinders. At the rear cylinders, however, these have upwardly turned elbows (shown at as) which are coupled to the rear ends of pipes 55 which eX- tend forwardly at the sides of the boiler shell, below the steam pipes 29. Each pipe 55 has a suitable disconnection joint 55 and expansion joint 5?, which in turn is coupled to one end e1- bow 53 of the cross-conduit 59, as seen in Figure 4. This conduit is flattened (as seen in Fig. 1) to fit with adequate clearance between the top of the bed frame It and the bottom of the smoke box l3, which it will be noted is raised somewhat above the bottom of the main part of the boiler barrel. The apertures (ill at the center of the upper face of the cross-connection 59 discharge into the rear exhaust nozzle IE).

Although, for clarity, the pipes alone are shown, it will be understood that in practice all of the pipes so far described are customarily covered with a substantial lagging. This further increases their outside dimensions, but it will be seen that the disposition of the pipes is such as to accommodate the lagging, even though it be built up to an outside diameter approximating the diameter of the various joint flanges.

It should be observed that in addition to the superimposed location of the various longitudinal pipes at each side of the locomotive (as best seen in the front end View of Fig. 2), the piping at the region of the front cylinders is especially adapted to take advantage of the available space, by having the steam pipes diverge upwardly from the central pipe 35C, and the exhaust pipes converge upwardly to the superimposed central pipe 5!. At the same time, the curvatures employed in these pipes for making connections are also taken advantage of to accommodate expansion and contraction.

The described arrangement of superimposed central main steam and exhaust pipes, with their branches, is also of especial advantage in providing clearance for the truck center pin 22B and its surrounding guide structure 22C, 22D (Fig. 2) since this assembly is positioned forwardly of the forked pipe 4!, and below the central exhaust pipe, the branches 4'! of which lie on either side. For clearance of the live steam branch pipes 42 with relation to the framing, the latter is provided with depressions orgrooves 42A, just back of the truck center pin assembly (as seen in Fig. 2).

For removal of the main central steam pipe 35C, the truck, with its center pin 22B, is dropped, the removable part 22D of the center pin guide is lifted out, the pipe junction members 4| and 49 are removed, the main steam pipe joint 35B is disconnected, the front end of the main steam pipe 350 (with its expansion joint 33) is lifted slightly, and slid out forwardly.

In addition to the support of the various pipes by virtue of their connections to cylinder and saddle structures, smokebox shell, etc., various hangers, brackets and pads may be employed. Examples of these are the mounting devices for the two large exhaust pipe junction castings shown in Figures 3 and 4. Thus the junction member 49 for the exhaust pipes from the two front cylinders is provided with mounting pads or feet 5!, having lateral positioning flanges 62, adapted to be firmly seated upon and bolted to the top of the forwardly extending frame structure 16B. Likewise, the junction member 59 for the exhaust pipes from the rear cylinders has mounting pads or brackets 63 adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the bottom of the smokebox shell. a

Turning now to the arrangement for delivering exhaust steam from all four cylinders to the feed water heater, it will be observed from Figures 1. and 5 that a junction member 64, located adjacent the front of the piping system (at the left side of the locomotive) has two downwardly diverging branches B5 and 6-3. Branch 65 is coupled directly tothe exhaust take-off pipe 41A for the left front cylinder (see Fig, 2). Branch 66 is coupled to receive exhaust steam from the pipe member 48A (on the right-hand side) through'the medium of an integral passage 61 formed in the casting 49 and taking steam directly from the pipe element 48A thereof (see Figures 2 and 3) and a short length of connecting pipe 68 (see Figure 2) The junction m mber 64 in turn forms the socket of a ball joint 69 (Figure 6) at the front end of the rearwardly extending pipe H which includes a slip joint 12 and has a second. ball joint 73 in the socket 14 which is on the front branch of a pipe coupling 75.

The rear branch 16 of said coupling (Figure 1) receives exhaust steam from the rear cylinders, through a downwardly and laterally curved pipe Tl which is coupled to off-take 18 formed on the junction casting 59 (Figure 4). It will be observed that the take-off 18 has two branches TBA and 18B, taking steam from either side of impeded now of exhaust steam is taken from each end 58, 58, of the cross-pipe 59.

Having joined the exhaust steam taken oil from all four cylinders, at the coupling 15, this is in turn connected to the feed water heater H by means of an upwardly extending curved pipe 19, which is connected to the feed water heater at the left side of the locomotive. The heated water is taken from the right side of the heater by a downwardly extending curved pipe 8i, which extends forwardly through the front smokebox wall for,connection to an elbow 82 leading into the hot water pump I2. The pipe from the pump l2 into the boiler is not shown, nor is the pipe leading from the tender to the feed water heater, since these may be of the usual character, disposed'in the usual or any other desired way. It will be observed from Figures 1 and 2 that the pipes 19 and 81 are substantially symmetrically disposed at the two sides of the smokebox, well toward the front thereof, out of the Way of the nozzles and stacks, and in longitudinal alignment with thesteam pipes 21, 21 (as seen in Figure 2), so as to leave a clear central space within the smokebox, which is desirable for purposes of access to the fines, etc.

, From the foregoing detailed description of the structure, it will be clear how'I secure the various advantages set forth at the beginning of this specification. A few points might here be emphasized: for example, by carrying the steam pipes to the rear of the rear cylinders and thence forwardly along the center, by taking off the exhaust from the front of the rear cylinders, at each side, and by carrying both the live steam and the exhaust connections of the front cylinders forwardly thereof, I make the best use of the available space. There is a limited space available both fore and aft of the rear cylinders, and each of these spaces is' utilized; while adjacent the front cylinders there is ample space forwardly thereof, and I therefore place the major part of both the admission and the exhaust piping in that location, superimposing the main central exhaust pipe (with its slip joint) over the main central live steam pipe; overlapping the pairsof admission and exhaust branch pipes; and locating two ball joints of the main exhaust pipe forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of the front cylinder-and-saddle location. The arrangement also has the advantage of providing ample distance between the ball joints of the exhaust steam piping, which minimizes the degree of angular movement (and thus the wear) at the ball joints, for a given angular lateral swing of the front frame, and likewise minimizes (though to a lesser degree) the required amount of slipjoint movement in said piping.

Although individual take-offs of exhaust steam from. the four cylinders are provided, in order to secure a relatively smooth flow of steam to the feed water heater, yet the branches of each pair are taken off very close to the junction points of the respective pairs of cylinder exhaust pipes, and the resulting take-offs are combined at an intermediate position, which is substantially directly beneath the feed water heater, so that a minimum of piping is used for this system.

. Other advantages will occur to those skilled in the art, and various modifications may be made While still securing to a greater or lesser extent the advantages of the invention within the broadest scope of the appended claims permissible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a steam locomotive having a boiler and pairs of cylinders at longitudinally spaced-apart zones, each pair having intervening saddle structure, a steam piping system including means conducting the steam supply for two pairs of cylinders from the boiler to the zone of one of said pairs of cylinders, conduit means connected to receive part of said supply and extending from the saddle structure of said one pair to and through the saddle structure of the other of said pairs, and pipe means connected to said conduit means beyond said latter pair and doubled back for connection thereto.

2. A construction according to claim 1, wherein said conduit means extends through both of said saddle structures, and the connections thereto at each end thereof extend beyond the remote faces of the said saddle structures.

3. A construction according to claim 1, wherein said conduit means comprises a centrally disposed pipe extending longitudinally through both of said saddle structures, said conducting means comprise a pair of pipes converging from the sides to a point of connection to said centrally disposed pipe, and said pipe means at the opposite end comprise a pair of pipes diverging from said centrally disposed pipe, the two pairsof pipes being respectively disposed beyond the remote faces of the saddle structures. a

4. In a steam locomotive having a boiler and pairs of cylinders atlongitudlnally spaced-apart zones, each pair having intervening saddle structure, and said pairs of cylinders being mounted upon separate frames articulated together adjacent one of said pairs, a steam piping system including steam conduit means for conductin steam from the saddle structure of one pair to the saddle structure of the other pair of cylinders, said conduit means comprising a centrally disposed steam pipe having only one balljoint, said ball joint being mounted on one saddle structure and centered adjacent the axis of frame articulation, and said pipe further having expansion joint means mounted on the other of said saddle structures.

5. In a steam locomotive having a boiler and pairs of cylinders at longitudinally spaced-apart zones, each pair having intervening saddle structure, a steam piping system including steam conduit means for conducting steam from the saddle structure, of one pair to the saddle structure of another pair of cylinders, and ball and expansion joints for said conduit means supported upon said saddle structures, in which construction said pairs of cylinders are mounted upon separate frames articulated together adjacent one of said pairs, and wherein said steam conduit means comprises a single centrally disposed pipe having a ball joint adjacent the axis of articulation, and having an expansion joint adjapassing longitudinally through the saddle and the other passing longitudinally across'the top of the saddle.

'1. A construction according to 01am 6, where 9 in one of said pipes has angling joints forwardly and rearwardly of the saddle to accommodate the motion thereof relative to the boiler.

3. A construction according to claim 6, wherein one of said pipes has angling joints forwardly and rearwardly of the saddle to accommodate the motion thereof relative to the boiler, and the other has angling joint means adjacent the pivot axis for said portion of the frame.

9. A construction according to claim 6, wherein each of said central pipes has branchesconnected to both cylinders of the pair, one set of branches being connecetd to its pipe beyond an end of the saddle structure and being connected to the cylinders through anend of said structure, and the other set of branches being connected to its pipe beyond an end of said saddle structure and extending over the cylinders for connection thereto.

10. In a Mallet locomotive having a boiler, and a frame an end portion of which is pivoted for transverse movement with relation to said boiler, said pivoted frame portion having adjacent its free end a pair of cylinders and intervening saddle structure, a steam piping system comprising centrally-disposed superimposed longitudinally-extending steam and exhaust pipes, one passing longitudinally through the saddle the other passing longitudinally across the top of the saddle, in which construction each of said central pipes has branches connected to both cylinders of the pair, one set of branches being connected to its pipe beyond an end of the saddle structure and being connected to the cylinders through an end of said structure, and the other set of branches being connected to its pipe beyond an end of said saddle structure and extending over the cylinders for connection thereto, said construction further being characterized in that the first mentioned set of branch pipes is coupled to the upper of the two central longitudinal pipes and extend laterally, downwardly and thence longitudinally, and the second mentioned set of branch pipes is coupled to the lower of said central pipes and extends upwardly, laterally and thence longitudinally.

11. A construction according to claim 10 wherein the upper of said central pipes has an expansion joint disposed between two branch pipes of the latter pair.

12. In a steam locomotive having articulated frame structures each of which has a pair of laterally disposed cylinders with their valve chests and intervening saddle, the saddle on one frame structure being adjacent the free end thereof which is remote from the point of articulation, a steam conveying system comprising a steam delivery pipe extending longitudinally toward the free end of said structure and centrally through said saddle and provided with means accommodating thermal expansion and contraction longitudinally, forked piping adjacent said free end having its base connected to the end of said delivery pipe and having its branches extending upwardly, laterally and thenc reversely to the adjacent chests and connected to the latter centrally thereof, a central longitudinal exhaust pipe overlying said delivery pipe and provided with swiveling joints at both ends and an intermediate expansion joint, separate longitudinal discharge pipes extending from said chests toward said free end, and transverse piping located beyond said fork and extending upwardly and inwardly and joining said discharge pipes and said exhaust pipe.

13. A construction according to claim 12, wherein said means accommodating expansion and contraction comprises a slip joint between said longitudinal delivery pipe and said fork, and a sliding mounting in said saddle for said joint.

14. A construction according to claim 12,

wherein said exhaust pipe expansion joint is ac' cylinders including a pipe coupled thereto adja cent said zone of discharge and extending toward the first mentioned cylinder, andjunction means for said two take-off pipes and extending from thence to the auxiliary device, whereby the discontinuity of the exhaust steam supply to said auxiliary is minimized.

16. A construction according to claim 15, wherein there are pairs of cylinders at each of said forward and rearward locations, and said exhaust steam take-offs are coupled to receive exhaust steam from both cylinders of each pair.

17. A construction according to claim 15,

wherein there are pairs of cylinders at each of said forward and rearward locations, and wherein said main conducting means comprise separate exhaust conduits from each cylinder of each pair, and said take-offs include separate connections to each of said conduits.

18. In a multiple-cylinder steam locomotive having two longitudinally spaced-apart pairs of cylinders, exhaust nozzle means, and an auxiliary device utilizing exhaust steam, for the cylinders of each paira pair of separate exhaust conduits which converge before discharging through the nozzle means, a pipe taking steam from each conduit at points before convergence of the respective conduits of each pair, and means conducting steam from all four-pipes to said auxiliary device.

19. In a multiple-cylinder steam locomotive having a boiler fixed upon one frame and a feed water heater fixed thereto, another frame pivoted to that first mentioned, a pair of cylinders on each frame, and exhaust nozzle means located in the boiler shell between the pairs of cylinders, exhaust conducting means from the cylinders of the pair on the first-mentioned frame extending to said nozzle means, exhaust conducting means from the cylinders of the pair on the second-mentioned frame including an exhaust pipe common to the exhaust of both cylinders of said pair, extendingto said nozzle means and incorporating flexible joint means to accommodate the pivotal movement of the second-mentioned frame, exhaust steam delivery means extending from the first-mentioned conducting means to the feed water heater, and'exhaust steam delivery means extending from the second-mentioned conducting means to the feed water heater and comprising a single flexible pipe to accommodate the pivotal movements of the second-mentioned frame.

20. A construction according to claim 19, wherein each of said steam exhaust delivery 11" means to the feed water heater has a'divided intake, adapted to receive exhaust steam separately from each cylinder of the respective pair.

21. A construction according to claim 19, wherein the first-mentioned single exhaust pipe with its flexible joint means is centrally located, and the second-mentioned flexible pipe is located toward one side of the boiler shell.

22. The construction of claim 19, in which the first mentioned single exhaust pipe with its flexible joint means is centrally located and the second mentioned flexible pipe is located toward one side of the boiler shell, said construction further being characterized in that the two delivery means combine into one pipe extending up one side of the boiler shell to the feed water heater, and a discharge pipe from the feed water heater is located at the other side of the boiler shell.-

23. In a locomotive steam piping system, a pipe junction member having two exhaust line inlets and one exhaust line outlet, and an auxiliary steam take-01f formed in said member.

24. The junction member of claim 23, wherein said take-off communicates directly with one of said inlets at a point prior to its merger with the other.

25. In a locomotive steam piping system, a pipe junction. member having two exhaust line inlets and one exhaust line outlet, with the latter being formed as part of a flexible joint, said junction member having integral mounting means adapted to seat upon 'a locomotive frame structure.

26. In a locomotive steam piping system, a transverse exhaust pipe member having at each end means of connection toa longitudinal pipe, and centrally having means of connection to an exhaust nozzle, and formed with a take-off for an auxiliary, said take-off having one outlet but configured with two inlets, communicating respectively with the transverse pipe at either side of said exhaust nozzle connection means.

27. In a locomotive having a pair of cylinders with intervening saddle structure, framing extending longitudinally from said structure, and truck structure beneath said framing having center pin mechanism extending upwardly therein, a steam piping system comprising superimposed, centrally-positioned, main longitudinal pipes, and branch pipes for each cylinder arranged in pairs, one pair being connected to each of said central pipes, the upper central pipe being located above said center pin mechanism with its branches passing to the sides thereof, and the lower of said central pipes having its junction with its branches at a region intermediate said mechanism and said saddle structure.

12 tially separated longitudinally of said boiler, a steam conduit centrally disposed in said framing and extending lengthwise thereof as a rigid unit from adjacent one saddle structure to adjacent the other and having forked pipe means associated therewith, an expansion joint accommodating relative movement between said rigid conduit and said pipe means and means lying within one of said saddles and affording support for the conduit, pipe means, and expansion joint, and constructed to accommodate relative movement between the same and the saddle structure.

30. In a steam locomotive having a boiler with longitudinal framing therebeneath, cylinder-saddle structures at locations which are substantially separated longitudinally of said boiler, a steam conduit centrally disposed in said framing and extending lengthwise thereof as a rigid unit from adjacent one saddle structure to adjacent the other and having a pair of steam pipes associated therewith, and means carried by the respective saddle structures and yieldingly supporting said rigid conduit adjacent each of said saddle structures, said means at one saddle structure com- .prising means accommodating conduit movement relative to said structure, and said means adjacent the other saddle structure comprising a joint accommodating conduit movement relative to said steam pipes.

31. In a steam locomotive having a boiler with longitudinal framing therebeneath, cylinder-saddle structures at locations which are substantially separated longitudinally of said boiler, a steam conduit centrally disposed in said framing and extending lengthwise thereof as a rigid unit from adjacent one saddle structure to adjacent the other, and means yieldingly supporting said rigid conduit adjacent each of said saddle structures, said yielding means adjacent one of said saddle structures comprising a longitudinally sliding support in the saddle structure, and said yielding means adjacent the other of said saddle structures comprising a laterally angling pipe joint adapted to accommodate lateral swinging of said 28. A construction according to claim 2'7, in

' framing relative to said boiler.

ly separated longitudinally of said boiler, asteam conduit centrally disposed in said framing and extending lengthwise thereof as a rigid unit from adjacent one saddle structure to adjacent the other, and means yieldingly supporting said rigid conduit adjacent each of said saddle structures,

said means adjacent one of said saddle structures comprising a pipe expansion joint and a 1011mm dinally sliding support in the saddle structure, and said yielding means adjacent the other. of said saddle structures comprising a laterally. angling pipe joint adapted to accommodate lateral swinging of said framing relative to said boiler.

FRED W. GEORGE, Jn. 

